Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Latin Times
Latin Times
National

4-year-old Oklahoma boy contracts rare illness during Mexico vacation

Griffin Brothers is seen in a photo posted online on Aug.14, 2024 (Credit: Wes Lawhorn/GoFundMe)

Originally published by Headlines & Global News

A 4-year-old Oklahoma boy is reportedly recovering from a rare medical condition that left him near death while vacationing in Mexico with his family — which faces hospital bills of up to $8,000 a day for his treatment.

Griffin Brothers of Tulsa and his parents all came down with a stomach bug that unexpectedly turned serious for the youngster, local TV station KTUL-TV reported.

"We had recorded a video saying hello to the grandparents and he was very lethargic," father Andrew Jones-Brothers said. "And I hadn't really realized it because I think we had been with him but my mother called me very upset and she said, 'He looks yellow. There's something wrong with him. Please take him back to the doctor.'"

At a local hospital, Griffin began suffering kidney failure and related complications, prompting an emergency transfer to a pediatric hospital in Guadalajara, according to an message posted Aug. 8 on the GoFundMe website.

There, a doctor told his parents, "When you brought him to us he was extremely near death," Jones-Brothers said.

The boy was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, KTUL said.

The rare condition usually affects children under 10 after a digestive tract infection that's caused by a type of E. coli bacteria found in raw milk, unwashed raw fruits and vegetables, contaminated juice and undercooked meat, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

Nothing can stop the syndrome from progressing but treatments include medications, intravenous fluids and a feeding tube, blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

Griffin has received multiple dialysis treatments and the doctors treating him "are saying it's miraculous how far he's come," Jones-Brothers said.

The most recent update on his GoFundMe page, posted Aug. 14, said Griffin had been moved out of the pediatric intensive care unit and "his numbers are continuing to show improvement every day."

Jones-Brothers said it was unclear how much longer he'd have to remain hospitalized.

Griffin's doctor also said he should remain in the area for daily blood tests after he's discharged, according to the GoFundMe update.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.